Gamble Everything For Love
by alexp
Summary: Old school Trory. Rory, Paris, Loiuse, Madeline and of course Tristan all go on a junior class trip.
1. Chapter 1

"I like chicken" Lorelai pronounced happily.

"Me too" Rory chimed in, grabbing a wing from the bucket.

"You know" Lorelai began dramatically, signalling the beginning of a rant, "I may not have a guy in my life, my family…aside from you of course…may be crazy, and I may not have had time to go shoe shopping in over a month, but as long as I've got my fried chicken…and my tivo, I have to say life is pretty damn good!" she finished.

"Are those really going to be your parting words to me, a diatribe on chicken?" Rory replied seriously.

"You're going away for a week, not even a full week, a school week, that's five days …get over it" Lorelai returned, checking the bucket for another good piece.

"Okay, who ate the last drumstick, because if it was you, I may not let you back in when you come home" she threatened.

"Hey, I'm leaving, I may not get a real meal for who knows how long…you don't want your daughter to go hungry" Rory pouted as she finished off the drumstick in question.

"You're going on a four star, Chilton school trip…we're not talking Survivor here, more like Joe Millionaire without the freaky dude on a horse" Lorelai shot back settling for a breast piece.

"Yeah, the accommodation might be fine but what about the company…or have you forgotten who my roommates are" Rory moaned crossing her arms over her chest and settling back on the couch.

"I thought things were better between you guys" Lorelai asked confused.

"Madeline and Louise are fine, but seriously five whole days of twenty four hour Paris?" Rory returned, just the thought putting her in a bad mood.

"Just remember try and stay on her good side…or you could make out with her again" Lorelai volunteered.

"Gross, believe me once was enough, at least we got an A…well most of us" she stated thinking back to the previous month.

Tristan's stunt had caused quite a panic, but they had managed to pull it together. She still couldn't believe that after all that, he had turned up at school on Monday, happy as could be. Apparently his father had had a change of heart and instead of Military School, some kind of community service arrangement had been compromised.

It was weird, she had been kind of glad to see him when he had first walked into homeroom late as usual. Grin on his face, slyly winking at her as if the whole thing had been a joke. Since then they had slipped into their old routine, which pretty much consisted of very little communication at all, aside from the occasion remark or strange glance. Besides she had had other things on her mind.

Most notably, her second and undoubtedly last, break up with Dean. She didn't like to think that those two events were in anyway linked. But the fight that had occurred the following day was the beginning, in a series of awkward and confusing exchanges that had ended with Rory alone in the Gazebo in desperate need of a shoulder to cry on.

But now she had wallowed, she had vented and she was fine. Maybe not jumping around with the Polyphonic Spree fine, but good. For some reason, perhaps because she had maybe wanted it this time, this break-up was easier. Less 'what if' and more 'it was time'.

"So have you packed?" her Mom asked flicking from the end of Letterman to see who was on Conan.

"Almost" she retuned quietly.

"It'll be good a chance to get away from the fishbowl…Babette keeps casually dropping hints about her hunky hunky nephew who lives just two towns over" Lorelai teased, trying to get her daughter to crack a smile.

"I think I'll head off to bed, early start" Rory replied yawning. Lorelai nodded and waved her daughter good night.

* * *

Rory settled into her seat near the front of the bus. It was six thirty, way to earlier to be up, let alone about to start a four hour bus trip. 

"This seat taken?" a familiar voice asked.

"Nope, go ahead" Rory sighed, moving her bag onto the floor.

"Thanks" Paris answered sitting down, scowl on her face.

Rory sat back quietly thinking how perfect this was, sitting next to Paris in a cramped bus with no escape, what a way to start the morning.

"It's not you" Paris stated out of nowhere.

"Um…What's not me?" Rory asked tentatively.

"My bad mood…I'm over you and that whole Tristan….thing" she informed her casually.

Rory knew that was as close to an apology as she would ever get out of Paris so she decided to take it.

"Okay…so what's wrong?" Rory asked apprehensively, not sure if she actually wanted to know what was going on inside Paris's head.

"Nothing…Just I swear to God if those two were celibate for a month the world would turn on its axis and Armageddon would ensue" Paris informed her bitterly.

"Madeline and Louise have new boyfriends?" Rory took a guess.

"Shock right… you thought they'd gone through anything with two legs and a …well you know, but surprise, surprise they managed to find two victims right before the trip…meaning once again Paris all alone, Paris the fifth wheel…I swear I wouldn't have came, but its a requirement and what are my other options, stay home for a week and endure a socialisation lecture from my mother" Paris finished, huffing down in he seat.

Rory processed Paris words, feeling for her as usual. Besides all the crap she put her through Paris had her strengths, and most definitely her own problems.

"Hey, well you can hang out with me if you want because as I'm sure you know I'm not exactly the queen of Chilton when it comes to the friendship game" Rory replied self deprecatingly.

"Yeah, but at least you have friends outside of school…and a boyfriend" Paris added quietly.

"We broke up" Rory returned.

"Too bad…he was cute" Paris stated almost nicely, "In a farm boy, hick kind of way" she added.

"Thanks…I think" Rory replied.

"Your late" the teacher stated as the last group of students straggled onto the bus.

Rory glanced up as Tristan, and a girl whose arm he seemed permanently attached too, boarded the bus.

"We slept in" Tristan informed the teacher, sleazily. The girl giggled, and they made their way to the back of the bus where a group of their friends had saved them seats.

"That's Autumn" Paris informed her following her gaze to the girl in question.

"Autumn?" Rory returned incredulously.

"Looks like he's going through the seasons" Paris smirked, as she pulled out her extremely worn copy of the Iliad.

* * *

Rory smiled as they arrived at their destination. It was a beautiful resort that reminded her of The Independence Inn. Situated in the middle of a pine forest it was picturesque and relaxing. Not that her fellow classmates were thinking of anything other the five whole parent free days that lay ahead of them. 

The school insisted that the annual junior class trip promoted bonding and an opportunity to relax from the rigours of school life. The rumour mill had informed her that if the faculty was aware of half of what went on during the trip, they would have a collective coronary.

As Rory got off, she felt the chill in the air. Snow had been forecast but not yet eventuated and there was a strange grey stillness about the place.

"Rory, Paris where were you two on the bus?" Madeline asked cheerfully as she came up to them with Louise not far behind.

"I'm surprised you could see anything with your face plastered to Gary McRoys" Paris returned harshly.

"Paris, Paris, Paris… your face is looking a little green you might want to get that looked at" Louse stated coolly as she joined the group.

Paris just glared at her friend as she reapplied her lip gloss.

"So Rory, I hear we're all going to be roommates, should be fun" Louse said, slyly, "Are you looking for a bit of action because… I know a few boys" she added.

"Hah… a few… I think there's only a few you don't know and I mean that in the biblical sense" Paris retorted smirking.

"Now there's the Paris of old" Louise replied almost happily, at her old sparing partner, "But Rory what's the situation, are you free or still otherwise attached?"

"I'm not with Dean anymore" she informed her casually.

"Interesting" Louise noted, "Girls, shall we find our room?" she added heading towards the entrance.

The others followed her inside ready to start their week.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory collapsed on her comfortable double bed, desperate for a moment of peace. They had only been there a few hours and she was already over it.

After a two hour shouting match about sleeping arrangements, somehow Rory had ended up with the double bed all to herself, Paris and Louise both determined that the other didn't have it. Paris had settled for the single, with Madeline and Louise stuck with the cots, yet as Louise had finally ended the argument, not that it mattered anyway as neither were planning to sleep in their own rooms anyway.

Now, the aforementioned pair had gone of in search of their said sleeping partners, while Paris was complaining to management about the lack of cupboard space.

The itinerary they had given her stated that she had until dinner to settle in, so she guessed she was free until then. Just as she was contemplating between calling home and having a nap, someone barged in the door.

"Mary, not that I'm complaining but what are you doing on my bed?" Tristan smirked as he looked her up and down.

"Your bed?" Rory replied incredulously.

"Well this is…" he began before glancing around at the clothes and toiletries scattered around the room, "…not my room" he finished sheepishly.

"Wow, does Mensa know about you because you're a stone cold genius" Rory retorted.

"Hey, my mistake, I guess I must be next door" he returned talking it all in his stride.

Rory took in that information. And gave him a look that pretty much said, well why don't you go there then.

"Okay then, I'll be seeing you neighbour" he informed her.

"If you have too" she stated.

"Oh and Mary, next time I barge in on you, could you be changing or something cos…" Tristan sleazed before Rory cut him off.

"Out" she demanded.

Tristan held up his hands and backed out of the room, giving her a wave as he closed the door.

Great, she thought. This was going to be a long week.

* * *

"…so then I said, just where exactly do you expect me to put my clothes, just leave them in the bag until the mould to the shape of the suitcase and develop an odour that…" Paris rambled on, before Louise put an end to it.

"Paris" she stated slowly, "If you say one more word about your confrontation with manager the results will be painful".

"Fine" Paris relented crossing her arms. "I'm just looking out for all of us" she finished.

Rory, Paris, Madeline and Louise were in the middle of what had been a surprising nice meal. Well, at least for Rory, Madeline and Louise had refused to touch the cream sauce, while Paris had been Paris.

"Oh I forgot…big news" Madeline stated excitedly.

"Go on" Louise replied excitedly.

"Okay, so I was talking to David's girlfriend Jemma, who as you know is best friends with Sarah who…" she babbled.

"Madeline, remember what I said about word limits" Paris interrupted.

"Tristan dumped Autumn" she concluded, "We're talking public humiliation here, she won't come out of her room, while apparently he's already moving on".

"I'm not surprised" Louise retorted, "He reached his two week limit" she informed them arching her eyebrow.

"Poor girl" Rory sympathised.

"What do you mean" Paris stated, "She's an idiot, I say she deserves whatever she got" she continued harshly.

Rory couldn't help but think Paris was channelling her own rather pre-empted pairing with Tristan.

"Yeah, but I hate that he can get away with treating all those girls like crap" Rory ventured.

"Hey, they know what they're getting into?" Louise volunteered.

Rory conceded that perhaps she was right. Tristan's reputation was well known. Its not like theses girls were going in with their eyes closed. But something about the whole thing just irked her.

"Onto more interesting topics" Louise changed the subject, "The word is that the first night party is fourth floor, pyjama theme, starting at ten".

"The first night party?" Rory asked confused.

"Tradition" Louise returned, "Four nights, four gatherings, each a different theme. Every class does it".

"Haven't we got the semi-formal on Thursday?" Rory asked, confused.

"That finishes at twelve, grandma" Louise informed her knowingly.

"The fourth night is the best" Madeline added, "After the formal, everyone sneaks off into this old house in the woods and parties till dawn"

"This sounds like the plot of a B grade horror movie" Rory speculated.

"More like a porno" Paris added.

"Lighten up" Louise shot back, "Believe me, the plans are already afoot…you two can stay in the room if you want, play some yatzee, act like you're 60, Madeline and I however will be having the best week of our lives."

"At least until college" Madeline added.

* * *

"Is this too slutty?" Louise asked as she modelled her tiny red camisole in front of them.

"Yes" Rory and Paris replied in unison.

"Good, then it's just right" she replied.

"Are you sure you guys won't come" Madeline asked, as they got ready to leave.

"We're fine" Rory replied sitting on her bed, in her real pyjamas, which consisted of a comfortable pair of checked pants and a tank.

"Okay" Madeline relented, "But of you change your minds it's room 431".

Rory nodded and waved them goodbye. Paris ignored them and continued with her reading.

Rory picked up her book and started reading.

After a few minutes Paris sighed.

"I think I should go" Paris informed her, "You know to keep an eye on them" she added unconvincingly.

"Okay" Rory replied not buying it for a minute.

"I'll just check it out, for a minute" She added, getting ready, that is putting back on the make up she had taken of just ten minutes ago.

"You want to come?" she asked.

"I think you can check up on them all buy yourself" Rory replied.

"I know I just…" Paris began before Rory cut her off.

"It's okay if you want to go have fun Paris" Rory informed her kindly "There's nothing wrong with acting like the seventeen year old you are once in a while".

"I know, so why don't you join me?" Paris replied.

"I'm tired…maybe tomorrow night" Rory relented.

"I'm going to hold you to that" Paris stated as she left to catch up with the others.

"Have fun" Rory shouted after her.

After about another chapter, Rory was interrupted again by a knocking on the door. It couldn't be Paris back already she thought.

She got up and rolled her eyes at the person standing in front of her.

"I knocked this time" he smirked.

"Tristan" Rory returned sighing.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

"Happy to see me" he replied, amused.

"The joy is overwhelming" she retorted, reluctantly letting him in.

"So" he began, shoving his hands in the pockets of his loose pyjama bottoms.

Rory crossed her arms, "So, what?" she replied frustrated.

"You want to watch TV or something?" he asked casually.

"Generally yes, with you no" she supplied.

"That hurt" he shot back clutching his heart, "Mary, I thought we were friends"

"You did?" Rory asked sceptically.

"I guess" he answered sincerely, staring at her intently.

"Why are you here anyway?" Rory stated, changing the subject, "I heard a rumour there's a massive party underway upstairs".

"Well to tell you the truth, I'm kind of hiding out" he replied, reluctantly, "There's someone up there that I'm not really ready to deal with just yet".

"Autumn came out of her room" Rory theorised.

"So you heard" he returned, "Should have handled that one better" he muttered to himself.

"No kidding" Rory returned, "Why do you have to be such a jerk?" she added.

"What, in general, or with Autumn" he asked confused, but not refuting the allegations.

"Both"

"Hey, have you met Autumn, it's lucky I could put up with her for as long as I did" he replied.

"God!" Rory began exasperated, "The way you just talk about people like they mean nothing".

"Hey, Rory relax" Tristan returned, calming her down, "I know I treated her badly, I should never have gone out with her in the first place, I admit that, but what can I say, I was bored, she was there…" he continued on, before Rory interrupted him.

"Enough" she said, "I don't want to know".

"Well don't worry. I'm being punished, everyone's upstairs and I'm banished down here with nothing to do".

"Wow, that makes me feel special" Rory replied.

"Hey, it's not like that" Tristan began kindly, "I just didn't think it would be your kind of thing and I guess I just thought you might like some company"

"So can I stay?" he asked, "I'm all alone and going through a painful break up"

"Painful?" she retorted.

"Hey my cheek kills from where she slapped me" he replied.

Rory stared at him, he actually looked pretty pathetic. And he was right; she really couldn't hold anything against him now. Things were cool with her and Paris, and not to mention he hadn't told Dean about their kiss.

"Fine, stay" she relented.

"Mary, you do like me" he stated, jumping on her bed.

* * *

After mindlessly flicking channels for half an hour, they had settled on an old rerun of some early nineties family sitcom.

Rory was sitting cross legged at the head of the bed, while Tristan was sprawled on his stomach taking up the rest of it.

As an ad break came on, Tristan rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his arm.

"You know I was thinking you were kind of defensive, when I mentioned my break up with Autumn" he informed her, getting at something.

"Not really" she replied, grabbing an extra pillow from his side of the bed.

"Okay…if you say so", he returned, not believing her, "I just realised that maybe it was hitting a little close to home.

"What are you getting at?" she replied defensively.

"Just… I heard about you and the stock boy" he admitted.

"Oh" she returned, surprised that the news had travelled so fast. The only person she had told at Chilton was Paris.

"Yeah…" he began, realizing that from the look on Rory's face, that maybe he shouldn't have brought it up, "Believe me you can do so much better" he added.

"Tristan" she returned, slightly annoyed, but appreciating the sentiment, not that she was surprised. It was no secret that Tristan had no love lost for her ex.

"So here we are again, both dumped again" he returned, alluding to Madeline's party.

Rory laughed despite herself, "Hey, you weren't dumped?" she informed him.

"Technicality" he returned smiling, "You know last time this happened…" he began before Rory cut him off.

"Don't even mention it" she warned, still feeling embarrassed at what had happened and how she had reacted.

"Hey, we could always try again" Tristan smirked, "You know really go for it this time".

"Sorry" Rory returned shaking her head, "No, piano. I only kiss random guys and then run away crying when there's a piano in the room" she stated sardonically.

"Too bad" he replied, sighing and turning his attention back to the television.

* * *

A few hours later Rory opened her eyes confused. After gaining her bearings she realised she had fallen asleep on top of her bed.

Loud snoring called her attention to the figure lying beside her.

Tristan was stretched out on his back sleeping like a baby. A six foot snoring baby that is.

Not fully awake and not having the heart to move him, she switched of the TV and decided to roll over and go back to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

They rolled around on the bed laughing. He kissed her forehead and slowly moved his way down her face until he got to her lips again.

"So" Tristan whispered, "I guess you do like me after all".

She nodded, before affirming that statement by kissing him again, in a way she'd never kissed anyone before. Full of passion and something which she realised was lust.

"Rory" she heard a voice call, sounding like it was coming from beside the bed.

"Rory" it repeated louder this time.

"Dean?" she asked, turning her head to see a tall figure standing, watching them.

Then she woke up.

What was that she thought to herself, slowly coming to.

She touched her lips slowly, it had seemed so real she thought.

She saw the rumpled duvet beside her and realised it had been. Well not all of it.

Tristan had been in her bed, but not like that. They had just fallen asleep watching tv.

He must have gone back to his room after she had fallen back to sleep she realised.

Slowly getting up and heading to the shower, she still couldn't get the dream out of her head. It didn't mean anything right? It was just a dream, they don't always have to be based in reality. It made sense really, he'd been right there, of course her subconscious had gone to him. But still she couldn't shake that feeling of excitement. She'd never had a dream that…real…before, she actually felt like it had happened. Thank God she wasn't a sleep talker, at least she hoped she wasn't.

After showering, she sat on the bed and looked around. As she had guessed Madeline and Louise's cots were untouched, but what about Paris she thought.

God, If Paris had came in and seen Tristan sleeping in their room last night…

It could be all over the school by now.

Paris's bed looked made, but that could have just meant that she had gotten up early as usual.

It was after 9 she realised, looking at the clock beside the bed. Breakfast was almost over already, she thought as she quickly put on jeans and a warm knit jumper before heading down to the dining room.

She grabbed some food and looked for a place to sit down.

She saw Paris sitting at a table by herself and quickly hurried over to her.

"Morning" she began, tentatively sitting down across from her.

"Hi" Paris replied "So big night last night" she continued.

"Um, what" Rory replied nervously.

"I was being sarcastic, Mary, Big night sitting alone in our room. I meanwhile had a great night" she continued, pausing, waiting, for Rory to press her for details.

"What happened?' Rory playing along, and relieved as it seemed like by some miracle Tristan had left before Paris had made it back to the room.

"I met someone" she stated intensely.

"Really? at the party?" Rory replied, and then felt bad for sounding so surprised.

"Don't sound so surprised" Paris shot back, as if reading her mind, "No, not at that moronic excuse for a party, I went…and twenty minutes later wanted to stab my eardrums out with a fork so I wouldn't have to listen to the annoying "conversations" anymore".

"I was going to just go back to the room when I stumbled upon this Library on the ground floor and there was this guy sitting there reading, get this, the Iliad" Paris exclaimed excitedly, almost sounding like a real girl.

"He's the owner's son, back here for his winter break from college, Harvard, where he's a TA in Classical Greek Literature" she informed her, with all the excitement most girls their age would talk about meeting, some kind of ex Abercrombie and Fitch model turned TV drama actor. And for Paris, Rory mused, that's kind of what this was for her.

"So we're going to go into town this morning, she rambled on, looking at her watch "Cover for me at this mornings activities" she commanded, rather then asked, as she hurried away.

"Bye" Rory replied, to Paris's back.

She looked around the room and saw there were only a few people left, so she quickly grabbed her food and decided to head back to her room before the morning session began.

As she was passing a group of girls she overheard a conversation that caught her attention. She paused and pretended to look at the activity schedule posted on the bulletin board.

"So that's why he left the party last night!" the first girl exclaimed.

"Yep, Claire told Jason who told me. Apparently he went straight up to her room while her roommates were out" the second girl said.

"So that's why he broke up with Autumn" the first girl replied.

"Well I heard that it's been going on for months" the third girl cut in, "Way before Autumn entered the picture"

"Everyone knows he was like obsessed with her last year, even when she had that way tall boyfriend" the first girl informed them.

"Yeah right, like Tristan is obsessed with anyone" the second girl shot back, "I think he's just using her, just like everyone else"

They girls started to wonder off down the hall, out of Rory's earshot.

What the hell she thought, quickly heading back to her room.

After she got back to her room, she was relieved to see that no one else was there.

She sat on the bed, mind racing. What was that?

So everyone knew, she realized. Well, knew, was perhaps not the right word. Nothing had happened, but obviously someone had seen Tristan leaving her room this morning. Not that she should be surprised. This was high school, how could she have been so stupid.

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts.

"I hear we're a couple now" Tristan stated as she let him in.

Rory just sighed, "You didn't start it, did you?" she asked giving him the benefit of the doubt.

He looked at her, "Do you really think I'd be here, if I had" he replied closing the door behind him.

Rory thought about it, and he was probably right. But still this was Tristan.

"Promise" she asked, looking up at him seriously.

"Yes" he stated simply.

"And you're not doing anything to encourage the rumour, right?" she asked.

"No, I swear, I flat out denied it when Jason Clarke asked me this morning" he said sitting down on the bed, "Although…I don't know if he believed me…." He trailed off.

"What!" she shot back pacing the room.

"Rory, it's just the way it is, I've got a reputation" he began, "and the truth was, we did "sleep" together, I can't deny that and no one believes that I could stay here all night, with you, especially you, and nothing would happen" he finished.

She knew he was right, that's just how it was. People would think what they wanted, especially when Tristan was involved. Hell, if she had heard the same thing, that he had spend the night in someone else's room and nothing and happened, she wouldn't believe it either.

"So what do we do?' she asked, sitting down next to him.

"Nothing" he replied, "Believe me it will die down eventually…or you know there is another option" he continued,

"Yeah" she replied hopefully.

"Well if everyone already thinks we did, then why don't we?" he stated casually leaning in closer.

"Tristan" she exclaimed pushing him away, "Out, now"

"Just a thought, I mean I'm more then willing…." She cut him off and pushed him out the door.

"Rain check" he quipped as she shut the door in his face.

"You know you want me" he shouted through the door, "Maybe you started the rumour, Mary" he added.

She opened the door and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, "Shut up" she hissed, "Everyone can hear you!"

"Well I don't think you feeling me up is helping the situation" he joked.

She just glared at him before letting go and slamming the door in his face.

She contemplated going downstairs to the morning's activities but instead decided to go back to bed and switch on the cartoons. What a morning she thought, and it wasn't even 10:30.


End file.
